Apparatus for dehumidification



May 24, 1949.

Filed July 22, 1946 B. G. PETERS APPARATUS FOR DEHUMIDIFI CAT ION '7 Sheets-Sheet 1 y 1949- B. G. PETERS APPARATUS FOR DEHUMIDIFICATION 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 22, 1946 I y 4, 1949. B. G. PETERS APPARATUS FOR DEHUMIDIFICATION 7 Shets-Sheet 3 Filed July 22, 1946 mgmvm \SAMaa May 24, 1949. B. G. PETERS APPARATUS FOR DEHUMIDIFICATION 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed July 22, 1946 May 24, 1949. (5 PETERS 2,471,376

APPARATUS FOR DEHUMID IFICATION Filed July 22, 1946 7 Sheets-Shet 5 FIG. /0

TIMER SW/ 7'6 H SOLENOID THERMOS TA T HUM/D/S T4 T y 24, 1949- B. G. PETERS 2,471,376

APPARATUS FOR DEHUMIDIFICATION Filed July 22, 1946 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 B. G. PETERS APPARATUS FOR DEHUMIDIFICATION May 24, 1949.

7 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed July 22, 1946 EQR bRm k QR .QQQQDI N\ wt Patented May 24,1949

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR DEHUMIDIFICATION Brice G. Peters, Baltimore, Md.

Application July 22, 1946, Serial No. 685,395

11 Claims.

My invention consists in a new and useful immovement in methods of and apparatus for dehumidification, and is more particularly designed for the treatment of air in confined spaces, such as rooms or other parts of buildings, in which the degree of humidity is required to be nicely determined, and an especially important application of my invention is the treatment of air in hermetically sealed chambers, such as storage containers, where means must be provided for expansion and contraction of the mass of air in the chamber due to variations of its temperature. The particularly novel and useful features of my improved method are the creation of a current of air from the confined space, said current being controlled automatically in accordance with the degree of humidity in the space, the treatment of the desiccant for its reactivation, and the automatic timing of the periods of dehumidification of the air and the reactivation of the desiccant. The foregoing features characterize the first form of my improved method, and my second form comprises said features and the additional feature of automatically evacuating air from and supplying air to the sealed chamber, responsive to pressure variations therein due to temperature variations, the supplied air being automatically dehumidified prior to entry into the chamber. The particularly novel and useful features of my improved apparatus for practicing my improved method are the economical and efilcient disposition in a single casing of the structural elements whereby the novel device functions to produce the dehumidification and the reactivation of the desiccant durin the determined periods, respectively, the control and functioning of the Various valves controllin the induced air currents during the two periods to effect determined dehumidification and reactivation, respectively, the novel elements for efiecting insulation of a heating means for the desiccant automatically functioning during the reactivation period only whereby the heat is confined to those portions of the device in which alone elevated temperature is desired, and especially the combination with the dehumidifioation means and the reactivation means of the means providing expansion and contraction of the mass of air in a sealed chamber. As will fully appear from the fOllOWil'lg detailed description of the structural elements of my improved device, my invention as to my improved apparatu provides a dynamic dehumidifier combined with a so-called static-dynamic breather, which 2. combination, so far as I know, has been hither-' to unknown.

While I have illustratedinthe drawings filed herewith and have hereinafter fully described certain specific embodiments of my invention, as to my improved. apparatus, whereby my improved method may be practiced, it is to be distinctly understood that I do not consider my invention, as to my improved apparatus, to be limited to said specific embodiments, but refer for its scope to the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the use of my improved device for treatment of air in a confined space,- such as a room.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device, the cover being broken away to disclose the elements of construction.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section, partly in elevation, on the line 44 of Fig. 2, in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line 5--5' of Fig. 3', in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary horizontal section on the line 66 of Fig. 3, in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 7 is an exploded view of the insulating, retaining means for the desiccant container, sho-wrr assembled in Fig. 3'.

Fig. 8 is a reduced perspective of the desiccant container.-

Fig. 9 is a wiring diagram of the circuits used in the device shown in Figs. 1-10.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged section on the line ill-l0 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 1-1 is a view similar to Fig. 4, showing a modified form of the device.

Fig. 12 is a diagram, similar to Fig. 9, of the circuits used in the modified form of the device shown in Fig. 11.

As illustrated in the drawings (Figs. 1-10), the operative elements of the device D are housed in a casing comprising a cylindrical wall I having inwardly turned circumferential flanges 2 and 3 at its opposite ends, respectively, and closure plates 4 and 5 attached by any suitable removable means, such as bolts 6, to the flanges 2 and 3, respectively. Suitably spaced between the plates 4 and 5, a partition 1 is supported in the casing by any suitable means, such as a circumferenti'al L- fiange 8. Ports P and Pl are provided in the plate 4 (Fig. 4) and have valveseats 9 and [0-, respectively, disposed inwardly 3 of the casing. Port P is provided with a conduit ll connected with the interior of the confined space S. Port Pl communicates to atmosphere. Ports P2 and P--3 are provided in the plate 5 (Fig. 4) and have valve-seats l2 and 53, respectively, disposed inwardly of the casing. Port PZ communicated to atmosphere, and port P3 is provided with a conduit 14 connected with the interior of the confined space S. It should be noted that, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the ports Pl and PZ, defined by valve seats I and [2, through which re-activating air is circulated, as hereinafter explained, are relatively small, as compared to ports P and P3, defined by valve seats 9 and 53, through which air to be dehumidified is circulated, as hereinafter expained, thereby reducing the velocity of the flow of re-activating air as compared to the velocity of flow of the air to be dried. A partition l extends inwardly from the cover plate 4 to partition i, being suitably mounted on wall i and partition 1, as by flanges l6. Partition 15 has a port P-4 therethrough in which is disposed an air filter l7 suitably removably mounted on partition l5 by flanges 18 from which the filter H can be removed, outwardly, when the cover plate 4 is removed. The partition 1 is provided with a port P5 with which is associated a radial blower is having its axialintake 20 disposed immediately adjacent 0 port P--4, on the side of partition l5 opposite that on which filter I1 is disposed, and its discharge 2! communicating with port P5 in partition "l." Blower I9 is driven by motor 22 suitably mounted on partition 7. A baffle plate 23 is connected in spaced relation to partition I, facing port P5. .Another partition 24 projects from partition 1 and has flanges 25, at its opposite ends. The flange 25 at the end remote from partition I has its ends connected with an arcuate flange 26 suitably mounted on wall I. This flange 25 and flange 26 form a seat for a desiccant container 21 provided with a peripheral flange 28 received against a suitable gasket 29, made of. any suitable heat insulating material such as Eagle super 66, seated on flanges 25 and 26. An arcuate flange 30 is suitably mounted on wall I, spaced from flange 26 and co-eXtensive therewith. Clips 3| bearings on blocks 32 of said heat insulating material, seated on flange 30, are attached to flange 28 by bolts 33. Thus the desiccant container 2! is completely isolated byheat insulating material, consisting of gasket 29 and blocks 32, from the casing side wall I and end plates 4 and 5 so that heat cannot be dissipated to the casing',.but is confined to the desiccant material, where it performs its function of evaporating moisture in a most efficient manner. The container 27 comprises a circumferential wall 34 carryin foraminous top and bottom walls 35 and 36, and is filled with suitable desiccant SLsuch as activated alumina and silica gel. The container 21 is provided with a suitable electric heater unit 38 having a thermostatic safety switch 39.

Mounted on partition 1, there is a plate 40 (Fig. 4) on which is pivoted a double lever 4| by bolt 42. The plate 48 is provided'with suitable guideways 43 and 4% in which are slidably mounted valve-actuating rods 45 and 46, respectively, passingthrough partition 1 and orifice 47 in lower flange 25. Thelever 4| is provided in its ends with pins 48 received in slots 49 in enlarged portions 50 of rods 45 and 46. Spring 5i coiled about bolt 42 hasits left end fixed on plate 40 and its right end bearing on the portion of lever 4! to 4 the right of its pivot point, thus tending to normally move the right portion of lever iii clockwise and thereby urge the rod 45 toward port P2. Mounted on partition 1 adjacent plate 40, there is a solenoid 52 (Figs. 2 and 10) having an operating finger 53 engaging the portion of lever 4: to the left of its pivot point, whereby the solenoid 52 rocks lever 4| on its pivot against pressure of spring 5| in a counterclockwise direction to move the left portion of lever 4| and thereby the rod 45 toward port P3, the lever ii at the same time moving rod 45 in the opposite direction. The rod 65 is provided on one end with valve 54 and on its other end with valve 55. These valves 54 and 55 co-act with valve-seats 9 and I2 of the ports P and P2, respectively, to simultaneously open port P and close port P-2, and vice-versa, by the reciprocation of rod 45. The rod 46 is provided on one end with vaive 56 and on its other end with valve 5?. These valves 56 and 51 co-act with valve-seats iii and 43 of ports P! and P3, respectively, to simultaneously close port Pl and open port P3, and vice-versa, by the reciprocation of rod it.

Mounted on partition 1 there is a housing 58 for a suitable electric timer mechanism 59 for operating a suitable timer switch Bil with relay Ell-a in housing 6i mounted on partition I. A

housing 82 is mounted on'partition 1 for a suitable manually operated control switch with operating lever 52a extending through wall I. A suitable conduit 63 passes through wall I and into housing 53, for the power lines W.-I and the wires W-2 from the humidostat 64.

Referring to Figures 2, 3 and 4, the space to the right of partition l5 and above partition I constitutes an air intake chamber having a pair of inlet ports P and Pl therein, having valve seats around their margins, one port, P, communicating with the space tobe dried and the other, Pl, communicating with a source of r e-activating air. The space below partition I, to the right of partition 24 and below the desiccant container 34 constitutes a discharge chamber having a pair of outlet ports P2 and P3 disposed therein, having valve seats around their margins. One outlet port, P3, communicates with the space to be dried and the other, P--2, communicates with the outside atmosphere.

The modified form of the device, illustrated in Figs. 11 and 12, is designed to practice the second form of my improved method. This form of the device has a port PB provided in the cover plate 5 which has therein a double relief valve 65 comprising a valve-seat ,66 with which co -acts a valve 61 having a co-axial orifice 58 with which co-acts a valve 69 through which loosely passes a rod 10 mounted in' a spider II mounted on the has a valve-rod I6 urged upwardly by a coil spring I? to normally close port Pl. The rod 16 is connected by pin 48 to lever 4| in the same way as rod 46 in the other form of the device. Rod 76 has a sleeve 18 on its lower end in which is s-lidably'received the upper end of a valve-rod 19 for valve 51 for port P3. Therod I9 is provided with a coil spring 80 to normally close port P3. A solenoid 81 'is mounted on partition 1 adjacent rod '19 and carriesan operating finger 82 attached to rod 19.

I will now describe the operation of the device, illustrated in Figs, 1 to 10, in the practice of the first form of my improved method. The parts of the device being in the positions shown in the drawings and the manual control switch being closed by the lever 62-11. to connect a source of electrical energy with the humidostat 64, the device D is conditioned to function. When the humidity in the confined space S exceeds a determined degree, the humidostat 64; functions to close the circuit to energize motor 22 which drives blower [9 which induces a flow of air from space S through the pipe I l, port P, filter l1, port P4, blower I9, port P5, container 21, port P-3 and pipe M to space S. This flow of air continues until the action of desiccant 31 upon the air is adequate to reduce the humidity in space s to the determined degree causing the humidostat 64 to open the circuit to de-energize the motor 22 to interrupt the above-described flow of air. While the above-described flow of air continues, due to the closed circuit to motor 22, the timer 59 functions, thereby timing the period of operation of the desiccant 37 upon the air. When the desiccant 31 has operated for a determined time interval, the timer 59 actuates the time switch 60 which actuates the relay fill-a which closes the circuit to the heater 38 in container 21, to solenoid 52 and to motor 22. The solenoid 52 being thus energized causes its finger 53 to reciprocate lever 4| against pressure of spring 5| to reciprocate rods 45 and 46 which causes valves 5% and 57 to seat and close ports P and P-3, and valves 55, 56 are caused to be unseated to open ports Pl and P2. The motor 22 being energized causes blower I9 to induce a flow of air, from atmosphere about device D, through port Pl, filter 11, port P-4, blower l9, port P-5, container 21 and port P2, back to atmosphere. Due to the heater 38 in container 2'! being energized, the air flowing through the container 21 is heated to a sufficient degree to cause the desiccant 31 to release the moisture adsorbed thereby in the preceding period of the cycle of operation, thereby reactivating the desiccant 31. An unduly high temperature is prevented by the thermostatic safety switch 39. While the above-described reactivation flow of air continues, due to the closed circuit to the motor 22, the timer 59 functions, thereby timing the period of reactivation. When the desiccant 3'! has released the adsorbed moisture during a determined time interval in which the desiccant Ell is sufiiciently reactivated, the timer 59 actuates the time switch 60 which operates the relay 6Ba to open the circuit thereby deenergizing heater 38, solenoid 52 and motor 22. When the solenoid 52 is deenergized, the spring 5| reciprocates lever M to restore the parts to their positions as illustrated in the drawings, ending the second period of the cycle of operations and conditioning the device D for a renewed cycle.

It is obvious that, since the functioning of the device D during the first period of the cycle of operation is dependent upon the degree of humidity in space S, the said functioning may be continuous or intermittent. In either event, since the actuation of the timer 59 is co-incident with the actuation of the motor 22 which effects the functioning of the device D, the timer 59 accurately measures the time interval during which the desiccant 3'! adsorbs moisture from the air flowing from space S, regardless of whether said interval is comprised of a single period of continuous operation or the sum of a series of periods of intermittent operation. The second period,

6 reactivation period, being determined by the timer 59, is continuous. I have found that the first period should be approximately two and onehalf hours duration, and the second period approximately one half hour.

I will now describe the operation of the form of the device illustrated in Figs. 11 and 12, in the practice of the second form of my improved method. Be it assumed that the conduit ll of the device is connected to the interior of an otherwise hermetically sealed chamber, such as a storage container, subject to temperature variations causing expansion and contraction of the mass of air confined therein. As illustrated in Fig. 11, the device is conditioned so that port P with which conduit ll connects is open, and ports PI, P2 and P--3 are closed. On expansion of the mass of air in the chamber, caused by elevation of temperature, air flows from the chamber through the pipe H and port P into the device and passes through the device to escape therefrom into the atmosphere through the port PS, the relief valve 65 being caused to function by the pressure of the air inside of the device on valve 69 which is unseated against pressure of its spring 15. On contraction of the mass of air in the chamber, caused by reduction of temperature, air from the atmosphere flows through port PG, the relief valve 65 being caused to function by the atmospheric pressure, exceeding the pressure of the air in the chamber and consequently the pressure of the air in the device, on the valve 61 which is unseated against pressure of its-springs M. The air thus admitted through port P6 is caused, by the difference of pressure within and without the chamber, to flow through container 21, port P-5, blower [9, port P l, filter I1, port P and pipe II to the chamber, Because of its construction, blower l9 permits this flow of air to occur when the blower is is immobile. It will be observed that the air thus supplied to the chamber is dehumidified by its passage through container 21. In this form of the device, when the humidostat 64 closes the circuit to cause the device to function to dehumidify the air in the chamber, as above described, the closed circ-uit energizes the solenoid 8| causing its finger 82 to reciprocate rod 19 against the force of its spring 80, unseating valve 51 to open port P3, putting the device into communication with the chamber through port P3 and the pipe I for functioning of the device through the initial period of the cycle of operation. It will be noted that when this occurs, the rod 19 is moved upwardly until its upper end guided in sleeve 18 contacts the lower end of rod I6. When the parts are moved into positions to condition the device for functioning through the reactivation period, as above described, the lever 4| reciprocates rod 16 against the force of its spring 11 to unseat Valve 56 to open port PI and to reciprocate rod 19 aided by its spring Bl] to seat valve 51 to close port P3. It is obvious that when the device is modified, at the end of the reactivation period, the port P-3 remains closed since the solenoid BI is deenergized and spring causes rod 19 to maintain valve 51 seated, and the parts are properly positioned for the functioning of the device for fiow of air into and out of the chamber through port P6 and valve 65 according to pressure variations due to temperature variations. It is also obvious that valve 65 is immobilized, during the two periods of dehumidification and reactivation, due to the flow of air ampere:

through the device being caused by functioning of' the blower l9. Having described my inventiomwhatI claim is: I

1. A dehumidification apparatus comprising a casing havingr'top, side, and..bottom walls, a

partition dividing the interior thereof into intake and discharge chambers, a secondpartition in the intake chamber having-anopening therein, dividing the same into an inlet compartment and a blower compartment, a blower in thematerial in the discharge chamber throughwhichthe air is forced by the blower, two intakeopenings in the intake chamber, two' openings in the discharge chamber, a pair of valve rods extending through the first mentioned partition aligned with said openings,-a valve on each end of each rod, means connected to the rods to reciprocate the rods siitinltaneously in opposite directions, thereby to close the one intake opening and to open one discharge opening of one pair and to open the one intake opening and to close the discharge opening of the other pair, and means for actuating the last mentioned means to controlthe flow through said pairs of openings for air drying and for reactivation of the adsorbent, respectively.

2. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which the means forreciprocating the rods comprises an intermediately pivoted lever connected at its ends to the rods, to move the same equidistantly and simultaneously in opposite directions.

3. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that a plate, projecting transversely from the first mentioned partition carries guide means for said rods.

4. An apparatus in accordance with claim 1,

in which for reciprocating the rods comprises an intermediately pivoted lever, and in which a plate, projecting from the first mentioned partition, supports the fulcum for said lever.

5. An apparatus in accordance with claim 4, in which the plate, projecting from the first mentioned partition, also supports a pair of guides for the rods. 7

casing, a partition therein dividing the interior tudinally, thereby to bring, simultaneously, one valve of each pair into port closing position and the other valve of each pair into port opening position, the valves being movable from a normal,

air drying position in which the first mentioned inlet port and the first mentioned outlet port are open and the second mentioned inlet and outlet ports are closed, to a re-activating position in which the second mentioned inlet and outlet ;ports are open and the first mentioned inlet and outlet ports are closed, and means for delivering current to the heating means when the valves are shifted to the second position.

7. An apparatus in accordance with claim 6, in which the shafts upon which the valves are mounted extend in parallel relation through the partition between the inlet and outlet chambers.

'8. An apparatus in accordance with claim 6 in which the means for moving the shafts in unison comprises an oscillatable member connected thereto, spring means tending to oscillate the member in one direction, and electrically actuated power means for oscillating the member in the other direction against the force of said spring means.

9. Apparatus accordance with claim 6 in which the bed of desiccant material is contained within a container having metallic side walls and pervioos top and bottom walls and in which said container is carried by the apparatus casing with bodies of heat insulating material interposed therebetween, to prevent the dissipation and transmission of heat, during re-activation of the desiccant material, from the container to the casing.

10. An apparatus in accordance with claim 6 characterized in that the inlet and outlet ports communicating with the space to be dried are of relatively large size and in that the inlet and outlet ports communicating with the source of re-activating air outside atmosphere are of materially smaller diameter.

11. In a dehumidifying apparatus of the type comprising a casing, a container having desic- 5 cant material therein disposed within the casing,

thereof into an air intake chamber and an air discharge chamber, a pair of inlet ports in the intal-zechamber having valve seats around their margins,one port communicating with the space 05 to be dried and the other with an external source of reactivating air, a pair of outlet ports in the discharge chamber having valve seats around I their margins, one outlet port communicating with the space to be dried and the other with the outside atmosphere, a single blower within the casing positioned to cause air flow in one' direction only from an inletport and the intakechamber to the discharge chamber and an outlet ing in the path of said air fiowand through port, a bed of desiccant material within the caswhich the air is forced to pass in the same direction at all times, electrical heating means intimately associated with said bed for heating the material thereof, two pairs of Valves arranged for cooperation with said'valve seats for opening and closing said ports, a pair of longitudinally movable shafts, upon theopposite ends of which said valves are mounted, meansc'onnected tothe' shafts for moving the samein unisorr longi'-"" an electric heater for the desiccant material, and means for circulating room air through the casing and the container for air drying and for circulating air for re-activating the desiccant through the casing and container to external atmosphere when the heater is energized; means for supporting the container in the casing in completely isolated, heat non-transferring relation to the casing, thereby to concentrate the reactivating heat to and within the container and toy prevent the dissipation and transfer of heat to the casing, said supporting means comprising bodies of heat insulating material between the casing and the container.

' BRICEI G. PETERS.

CES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 

